Coreopsis plant named ‘Center Stage’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Center Stage’ characterized by prolific, deep red, 4.5 cm wide, daisy-type inflorescences on a large mounding, Zone 6 hardy plant.

Botanical denomination: Coreopsis spp.

Variety designation: ‘Center Stage’.

Parentage: Coreopsis verticillata×Coreopsis ‘Limerock Ruby’.

Cross reference to: Coreopsis ‘Show Stopper’ (U.S. plant patent application Ser. No. 12/931,224).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct hybrid of Coreopsis and given the cultivar name ‘Center Stage’. Coreopsis is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated from a controlled cross of Coreopsis verticillata, an unpatented plant, as the seed parent and Coreopsis ‘Limerock Ruby’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,455, as the pollen parent.

Compared to the seed parent, Coreopsis verticillata, the new hybrid has dark red inflorescences rather than yellow. Compared to the pollen parent, Coreopsis ‘Limerock Ruby’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,455, the new cultivar is larger in size, has dark red rather than rose magenta inflorescences, and is Zone 6 hardy rather than Zone 9 hardy.

Compared to its sibling, Coreopsis ‘Show Stopper’, the new cultivar has dark red inflorescences rather than rose magenta.

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Heaven's Gate’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,016, the new cultivar has dark red inflorescences rather than light pink with a darker eye.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the new variety. These characteristics in combination distinguish Coreopsis ‘Center Stage’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. prolific bloom of dark red daisy-type inflorescences,     -   2. inflorescences about 4.5 cm in diameter,     -   3. excellent perennial survival (USDA Zone 6 hardy),     -   4. and a large mounding habit.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The photograph shows a one-year-old Coreopsis ‘Center Stage’ growing in the ground in the trial field in August in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Coreopsis cultivar based on observations of a one-year-old specimen growing in the ground in full sun under typical outdoor conditions in the trial fields in August in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 4^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 6 to 9.         -   Size.—65 cm wide and 45 cm tall to top of inflorescences             (will grow bigger in future years).         -   Form.—Loose mound.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, Grey Brown 199D, stems root easily from stem             cuttings. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—Ascending.         -   Size.—52 cm tall and 4 mm wide.         -   Branching.—About 5 branches from the base, each stem             branching further.         -   Internode length.—3.5 cm to 6 cm.         -   Surface.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Yellow Green 146A. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Linear to oblanceolate with linear to oblanceolate             lobes.         -   Size.—Most leaves grow to 47 mm long and 2 mm to 3.5 mm             wide, if lobed the leaf spread grows to 40 mm; basal leaves             are larger, main lobe 60 mm long and 6 mm wide, laterals 5             mm long and 3.5 mm wide.         -   Lobing on all but basal leaves.—0 to 2 lobes, linear, each             lobe 2 mm to 30 mm long and 1 mm to 2.5 mm wide.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both sides.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Yellow Green 147A on top side, Yellow Green 147B on             bottom side. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Composite on terminal stalked heads.         -   Peduncle.—6 cm to 7.5 cm tall, 1 mm wide, glabrous, Yellow             Green 147A. Size .— grows to 5.8 cm wide and 1 cm deep.         -   Form.—Ray florets held horizontally, mature disc is conic.         -   Immature inflorescence.—Ovoid, 7 mm wide and 7 mm deep, with             inner phyllaries holding the florets, glabrous, bottom half             Green 137A, top half Greyed Orange 165A and 164A.         -   Ray florets.—Without pistil or stamen, 8 in number,             overlapping, grow to 21 mm long, 7 mm wide, obovate, margin             entire, with the tip three lobed, the terminal lobe the             longest, tip acute, glabrous on both sides; color topside             closest to Red Purple 59A, bottom side closest to Greyed             Orange 165B on top ⅔ and Greyed Purple 187A on bottom ⅓.         -   Disc.—Slightly convex becoming conic, becoming 7 mm long and             7 mm wide with maturity, background color is Black 202A,             with prominent stigmas, Orange 25A.         -   Disc florets.—About 90 in number, each 7 mm long and 1.5 mm             wide; corolla 4.5 mm long and 1 mm wide, tubular, 5-lobed,             glabrous, Yellow Orange 14C to 17C on the tube and backs of             lobes, inside reflexed lobes Greyed Purple 185A; pistil 7 mm             long, ovary 1.5 mm long, Green Yellow 1D, style 5 mm long,             Yellow Orange 15A, with an extruding, 2-branched stigma,             Orange 25A; stamen 4 in number, 3 mm long, anthers 2 mm long             and Black 202A, filaments 1 mm long, Yellow Orange 15D,             pollen Yellow Orange 15A.         -   Phyllaries.—In 2 leafy campanulate series, area 10 mm wide             and 7 mm deep; inner series 8 overlapping lobes, ovate,             reflexed, margin entire, tip acute, glabrous on both sides,             grow to 7 mm long and 3 mm wide, Yellow Green 147A on bottom             half and Greyed Orange 164A on top half; outer series             smaller, 8 lobes, lanceolate, margin entire, tip acuminate,             glabrous on both sides, 3 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, Yellow             Green 147A.         -   Bloom period.—July through September in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about two weeks in             Canby, Oreg. -   Seeds: None.     -   -   Fertility.—Sterile. -   Disease and pests: Coreopsis are susceptible to mildew and fungal     spots. No resistances are known for this variety. 

1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant as herein illustrated and described. 